ICONS

Vertical Gallery is proud to present “ICONS”, a 3-artist exhibition featuring RYCA, Brad Novak and Chris Cunningham. The exhibition will run from November 5 –26, 2016 with an opening reception Saturday, November 5, 6-10pm.

All three international artists are known for their signature pop-contemporary art styles, each using iconic figures in their work. For the past decade, Ryan Callanan (UK), aka RYCA, has worked tirelessly as an artist and printmaker. His use of pop iconography has garnered wide appeal, with many noted collectors and celebrity owners. The last few years have seen Ryan draw upon his in-depth knowledge of materials and craftsmanship acquired through his training in industrial model making by creating all new hand-made sculptures and toys.

Brad Novak (NZ) is an urban artist whose work sits sharply at the nexus between fine art and street art. While living in London in the early 2000s the urban and street art scenes greatly influenced Novak's work.  His one-of-a-kind, hand-collaged and stencil-spray-painted works involve the layering of popular imagery, specifically the depiction of celebrities from the hyper-inflated world of American stardom.

Chris Cunningham (UK) works exclusively with spray-paint and contemporary stencil techniques. References to pop culture, graffiti, skateboard graphics and comic book iconography feature heavily alongside the instantly recognizable pop culture icons, logos and the symbols of our time, exploring the effect they have on our society. He graduated in 2009 from the University of Ulster in Belfast where he currently resides.

ICONS featuring RYCA, Brad Novak, and Chris Cunningham
November 5 – 26, 2016
Opening reception Saturday, November 5, 6-10pm
Vertical Gallery, 1016 N Western Ave., Chicago